Last of Us
by XxxAyakixxX
Summary: What if Ellie was the overprotective guardian, and Joel was the infected prospect? What if everyone's role in the Last of Us changed, but their lovable personas remained? (AU) (Rating may go up)
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Thanks for clicking on my story, but before you move on, take note of these important disclaimers. First off, I want to say that the personalities of every single character in the game, don't change in this story. Secondly, I want to point out that although they'll have the same personas, they won't have the same roles in the game. Example: Joel is taking Ellie's role as being the infected savior, and Ellie is taking place as the smuggler/guardian. Thirdly: It's not just a Joel and Ellie role reversal, it's everybody. Fourth: The major plot of the story is basically the same, but will have little edits here and there to make the story fresh. And Fifth: Enjoy the story.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Last of Us.

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><p><em>Chapter 1: Life Before<em>

It was one of those nights again. The kind of night where the boss would project all of his anger on the poor soul whom was the last to leave the workplace; that person had to fight tooth and nail to escape the premises without a mark on their career. Unfortunately, if you mesh together two short-tempered hotheads in one tiny space, the tiny space turns into a crime investigation; files will be askew, glasses will be broken, and coffee stains will be sunk into the all ready worn-out carpet. After one of those famous chaotic-tempered rumbles, the lucky worker will either leave and be unable to return, or they'll leave and be readily accepted in coming back by the boss, himself.

But Ellie knew that after she had broken her boss's special "#1 boss" coffee mug, that she was in for it. But all the time she spent in that cooped-up space with the last person she'd want to share breathing room with, she realized all of the things that made the boss tick and all of the people he despised and took accustom to. Luckily, her brother was well-liked by him; from the gingerly exchanged punches, and the topic of motorcycles always consuming their conversations, it was well known: the boss favored Tommy.

"Come on, answer, Tommy." Ellie grumbled, her fingers dribbling around her phone's perplexing text buttons. Once her ears derived the raspy voice as her brother, her lips curved in relief.

Tommy was the first to speak, and thankfully all he was talking about was work, and Ellie took it as an oppurtunity to chime in her personal problems with the boss as she unlocked the door to her comfy abode.

"Listen-um, Tommy. I got in a fight with the boss today." Ellie said, instantaneously taking in all of Tommy's badgering about her work ethic. "Come on, Tommy, I need this. Just talk to the boss for me, and add a little convivial flare while you're at it." her eyes jumped to her slumbering daughter. "Okay, good-luck..bye."

Ellie clicked the jumbled buttons in a shrewish protest to hang up; she was never really good at those technical things, but she managed with the small stuff. Finally, her finger pressed the right one, and with a satisfied grin, she shoved her phone in her pocket, glancing at her daughter in a content manner. Sarah was the whole reason why she was busting her ass, and listening to her boss's narking 24/7. Sarah, no matter how Hellish Ellie's day turned out, turned it around in an instant, making her smile at the dry humor she'd emit.

As if on cue to save Ellie from her Hell, Sarah woke up, her eyes festering with tired rigor; but of course that didn't halt her sprightly energy. Once she'd see her mom enter the door, she'd dash to try to spark up a conversation. (motherly love, you know?)

"Boss as friendly as usual?" Sarah slyly retorted, the dry humor rising Ellie back up from her sluggish grave.

"Oh, of course." Ellie said with a steadied chuckle. "He decided to be ultra nice today, too. So nice that he personally kicked me out of his office-I even have the boot-mark to prove it-." She pointed at her butt, an obvious mud-print from a boot.

"Oh my God. Wipe your butt before sitting down-it looks like you crapped your pants." Sarah said with childish vigor, her cheeks cramping to stifle her laughter.

"Don't worry, I got the perfect seat." Ellie stated, slowly wiggling her butt at her daughter to half-gross her out and half-induce her infectious giggles.

"Agh, mom!" Sarah jocularly whined, her body gliding to the different sides of the couch.

It was days like this that Ellie reminded herself that it was worth listening to the brooding conversations of every neighboring co-worker, and forcibly gushing to the boss to get a promotion and gain a better pay. Of course, once the clock ticked its last, it was a time of mental celebration; and she wasn't afraid to convey it with her rushed exits everyday.

With a sullen smile, she turned around and ruffled her daughter's hair. Pleased with the leisurely teasing, she sat next to her daughter, her palm comforting the weight of her skull as her elbow pressed into the arm of the couch.

After Sarah assessed all of the laughter and the jokes, she inched more inwardly into the couch cushion, until her mind popped in memory.

"Oh crud! I almost forgot!" Sarah spurted, her eyes darting to the clock above them.

"Hmm?" Ellie hummed in query, slightly rising up in curiosity at what her daughter was rushing for.

Sarah-in a swift motion-reached under the couch, presenting the fancy box with a look of effulgent excitement; and it was clearly shown through the bounce of her step, and the persistent fleeting of her grey ogles.

"What's this for?" Ellie took the box, peeking inside before getting a reply.

"Your birthday." Sarah's eyes continued staring, hoping for a much-yearned smile from her mother.

And it was granted with her mother's animatedly upturned cheeks, and the compulsory quick notching of her new and shiny watch around her wrist. But before Sarah could return an excited smile, her mother feigned sadness.

"Uhh, you like it?" Sarah seemed uneasy as she asked, noticing the disheartened expression on her mom's face.

"I mean, it's great and all, but, I think it's broken-" Ellie teased, her eyebrow cocking humorously as her daughter scrambled to check the "faked" broken watch.

"What!? No, no, no.." Ellie stifled her laughter once her daughter's face drooped, her eyes gazing up in sarcastic aggravation. "Oh, ha ha.."

Ellie took another awed glance at her new watch. "How the hell did you afford this?"

"Drugs. I sell hardcore drugs." Sarah spouted, lying on the couch in an effort to rest her fatigued body and somehow also adhere to watch TV with her mom.

Ellie swiped the remote, clicking the memorable button in thankfulness that she ever so clearly remembered as the "on" button. "Great. You can help me pay the bills, then."

"Pfft, you wish." Sarah humored, her eyes protesting in staying open to hash a much-wanted moment with her mother.

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><p>Ellie inwardly hummed, tiredness finally setting in once her eyesight deemed blurry and hazy; she turned off the TV, attempting to rub off the sluggishness by swapping her face in a quick manner. But it was transparent to her, it was time to kick off her slippers and head to bed. With a much-needed stretch of her back, she turned over to check on her daughter, and smiled brightly as she enforced all of her strength to pick the little scamp up.<p>

"Damn, you're heavy." Ellie whispered, practically dragging Sarah until she slightly threw her up in the air to get a better grip.

Ellie's heavy trudges on the staircase proved the weight of her fatigue, yet she pushed herself to carry Sarah to her desirable location. Once she reached Sarah's bedroom, she cautiously placed her daughter on the bed, pulling back what seemed to be a hindrance to Sarah's porcelain temple: a lock of hair.

"Good-night, baby girl." Ellie said with peaceful serenity swarming her tone, and she bent over to kiss her unguarded cheek.

_A couple of hours later._

The phone rung, shocking the unsuspecting girl up from her slumber.

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><p>AN: Just to remind you, the dialogue and parts of the story will be changed; but not drastically. I decided to end the story here, because I feel like shorter chapters bring more intensity and curiosity. (Unless you want longer chapters, I'll keep on going with the shorties.)

P.S.: I called this the "Last of Us" because this is just the story with role reversals; The original title is owned by Naughty Dog, and I'm using it for my story as a way of bringing you an alternate universe.


	2. Hellfire

A/N: Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews; I'll try even harder to write better, and update as fast as possible. (Extra note: I'm using bold print to indicate that someone is talking from long distance. Like a phone, a walky-talky, or even a voice recording.) (TV counts, too.)

Disclaimer: I don't own the Last of Us.

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><p><em>Chapter 2: Hellfire<em>

The phone rang, awaking the unsuspecting preteen. Her fist pressed into the mattress, supporting her weight while she groped in sleep-ridden lethargy for the source of the aggravating and repetitive noise.

"..Hello?" Sarah groggily greeted, her eyes adjusting to the light of the phone screen.

**"Sarah, I need to talk to your mom." Tommy transparently implored.**

"Uncle Tommy?" She called, deriving the raspy tone as a familiar voice. "What time is it?" She squinted at her alarm clock, but the numbers glitched off, leaving the girl puzzled at the sudden outage.

**"I need to talk to her right now-" Tommy persisted, but was cut off from the phone line.**

"Uncle Tommy? Hello?" Sarah called out, but realized that the monotone buzzing opposed her to speak any further. "Crud. Phone's dead." she set the phone back to its rightful place.

With a nonchalant rub of her eye, she assessed the situation through aching fatigue and aimlessly strided around her room.

"That was weird." She deducted, surveyed her room, and forced her tired frame to press farther.

The first item that popped at her was the slightly opened, home-made birthday card she made for her mom; though it was only profound simplicity throughout the card, it was a helpful asset in propping her eyes open. She picked up the card in a reminscing, yet upset motion, and skimmed its humorous contents.

"Man, I forgot to give this to her.." Sarah mumbled to herself, puffing out her right cheek in disappointment.

Sarah placed the card back, and staggered out of her room. She went straight to the bathroom and cautiously opened the door, prepared to shut it if obscene parts were seen. "Mom?" She called, but it was in vain when she only saw a newspaper in vacancy.

She trudged into the bathroom, reaching for the curious-inducing newspaper that lie on the sink. She skimmed the interesting parts of it, and cocked her eyebrow once she took in the tragedy of the cover topic.

**"New Infection Deters Health Officers." **Her eyes floated to the lower part of the newspaper. "**Mother kills 2 children and husband." **She places the newspaper back, and almost cringes at the horrid turnouts of the convienient topics. But it didn't really defer her from her goal: find mom.

With another detailed survey of the house, she tottered toward her mother's room, slowly opening her door in hopes to find her. Her eyes darted to the blunt, blueish light, and the source bounced from the TV screen, flooding the floor and walls with its flourescent, beaming colors. Her eyes then slowly floated to a newswoman reporting in front of the consuming fires. She staggered to it, looking around for any clues of her mother's absence as she watched the lulling screen.

**"People with the infection seem to be displaying violent tendencies-" The newswoman said, but was interrupted by a worried worker.**

**"Hey, lady! You need to get the hell outta here! There's a gas leak-" The man announced, but the fire blew into a large explosion and forced the TV off.**

Sarah backed away from the TV, her eyes fleeted to the window on instinct and observed the large explosion not too far off. The explosion shook her with miniscule force, but it was enough to stir the fear inside of her and make her dash for help.

"Mom!?" Sarah yelled, hugging her arms for comfort. "Mom?"

Sarah stealthily trudged down the stairs, her knees trembling as soon as she felt the last step leave her. Her head tilted, looking for any sign that her mother was close-by; sadly, no sign to be seen nor head.

"Mom?" Sarah called out again, now excessively rubbing her arms.

She inspected the downstairs area, and caught a glimpse of the note that was placed ever so blatantly. With unsure confirmation about the note's contents, Sarah zoomed across the hall and gazed at the note, her two fingers delicately lifting up the parchment for a better view.

"You're gone?" Sarah rhetorically asked, gripping onto her chest as fear settled in with more transparency.

With the realization that her mother was gone, she ran through the house praying that even though it was the last room that it was the room that her mom might be located. She accepted the high probability that her mom might be gone, but she wanted to make sure that her mom wasn't there. She carefully opened the dining room door, and her mother popped in, causing Sarah to step back from surprise.

"There you are." Sarah breathed out in relief.

Ellie hastened to the location of her pistol, swiftly forcing the magazine in after practically ripping it out of its socket.

"Sarah! Has anyone come in here?" Ellie paced around as she cocked the pistol, worry devouring her.

"..No. Who would come in here?" Sarah queried, and clenched her fists, worried about the inconceivable.

"Stay away from the do. Something's wrong with the Coopers...I-I think they're sick.." Ellie explained.

"What kind of sick?" Sarah asked as she backed away, and stepped even farther back after hearing a thumping noise strike the glass door.

Ellie quickly aimed at the glass door, shielding Sarah away from the unknown dangers.

Sarah was pushed back by her mother, and her heart beat was on the fritz when she saw a familiar face. Jimmy. Why was Jimmy so bloody? Why was Jimmy trying break down their door? Her mother's yells went straight through her numbed mind, not even bothering to conceive what she said; Sarah was only focused on the blood that dripped from Jimmy's battered body.

"Jimmy! Stay back!" Ellie screamed, her grip on the pistol getting shakier as she aimed at her friend's head. "Jimmy! I'm warning you!"

He got too close, and that was that. She had to shoot. (As much as it pained her.) Her sweaty fingers squeezed the trigger, and it felt like all of the oxygen left her when she realized she had killed one of her best friends. But she couldn't dwell on it; Sarah needed comfort, not tears.

Ellie turned around and held Sarah's stiff shoulders. "Sarah. I need you to listen to me.."

"You shot him.." Sarah whispered, her eyes distant and scarred to the core.

"Something weird is going on. We need to get outta here, okay?" Ellie told her, shaking Sarah's shoulders to wake her from what she thought was a nightmare. "Okay?"

Sarah's thoughts recollected. "Yeah.." There was no other choice.

Headlights lightened up the dark room, and created a way of escape from the horrible slaughter that occurred. Sarah was still trying to take in all of the horror of someone dying in front of her, and the fact that her mother was the culprit of the murder. Of course, it was probably for a good reason? Her mother wouldn't of outright killed someone in cold-blood, would she?

Tommy called out to his fellow scarred humans with a look of panic. "Where the hell have you been? You realize what's going on out there?"

"Just drive us outta here, Tommy." Ellie directed after opening the door for her daughter. Ellie shut the door behind her as well, her eyes training on the house that they would undoubtedly never see again.

It was a good-bye.

"Holy shit. You got blood all over you." Tommy announced, his tone was rugged and cracked as he spoke.

Ellie could sense the concern in Tommy, but when he talked about the blood spatter all over her clothes, all she could think about was Jimmy Cooper: her best friend. The man who would stick it to the boss with her if he was being an asshole. He was such a reliable man, and she repaid him with a bullet to his temple.

"Drive." Ellie repeated, her daunting eyes striking Tommy's very soul.

Tommy turned the key, and the car revved, rewarding the sinners as they escaped their wrong. He turned around to look at Sarah, the one who appeared the most effected. "Hey Sarah, you okay?" His voice was gentle and nurturing.

"Yeah.." Sarah mumbled to stifle the tears she knew would come. "Can we listen to the radio?"

"Of course." Tommy complied, and turned on the radio.

Unfortunately, the radio only emitted rumbles and ear-striking noises; which of course, Tommy had to turn off. He mentally cursed the radio, not wanting to taint Sarah's ears with vulgar language.

"No radio, yeah, we're doing great. Just a minute ago the news guy wouldn't shut up." Tommy grumbled, his grip on the steering wheel more stern.

Ellie fingers repetitively thumped the car window, creating an involuntary harmony with her riveting thoughts. She turned her head to face her brother, and her lips meekly pressed together. The look in his eyes were painful; as if he had just visited Hell. What happened? Her thoughts were interrupted by her daughter's shied voice.

"They say how many are dead?" Sarah just had to ask; she had to know what was going on.

"Probably a lot," Tommy replied, and he didn't think about Sarah's innocence when he continued talking. "I saw this one family all mangled up in their house-"

"Tommy." Was all Ellie had to say to remind Tommy she was only a child.

Tommy clicked his tongue. "Right..sorry."

Ellie crossed her arms; her usual, profound sniffling occurring as her proactive habit when she was anxious. Even she didn't know what was going on; the only thing that permeated some type of news in her mind was that she was a killer. It was official the moment she pulled the trigger on Jimmy Cooper, and it was official when she ran away from his motionless body, and it was official when she made her daughter see everything and expect her to be fine the second after.

"Oh shit. That's Louis's farm - hope that son of a bitch made it out." Tommy stated with weariness.

Ellie gazed at her brother, her fingers retracting to her other set of fingers to mingle with. He was always a worry-wart, one who cared about anyone and everyone no matter how shitty they were as a person. Ellie exhaled.

"I'm sure he did." Tommy looked back at her, a bitter-sweet smile forming.

"Yeah.." Ellie reverted back at the looping trees.

Sarah looked with Ellie, a jumbled mind as her source of emotions and feelings. Looking at the grouped environment took her mind off of the horrors of her lucid memory, and she gripped on the car door for comfort.

Tommy stopped the car, and Ellie and Sarah inspected for the reasoning. They quickly detected the family in front of them, a couple of blood-stains covering their necks and clothes. They called for help, and of course, Tommy stopped right on the mark to assist them.

"Sarah, you gonna be okay back there?" Ellie asked, referring to the strangers who would soon seat themselves near her daughter.

"I don't mind at all." Sarah assured.

Sarah felt like she had to do something good to make herself feel better about the past events, and this was her way of doing it. She courteously opened the door, allowing the strangers to come in and escape from this plausibly messed-up world.

"Thank you so much." The mother sobbed, holding her daughter tightly in her lap.

"Of course." Ellie said, but her eyes squinted upon recognizing uncanny bites and blood spatters on all of their clothes. "Tommy, do you think they look a little shady?"

"They probably got roughed up a bit...nothing to worry about." Tommy assured. He appeared pretty calm as his eyes trained on the road, and his fingers remained tightly gripped on the wheel.

Ellie peeked a look at her daughter, praying not to be noticed as rude by the strangers when she stared. Her ogles strayed to look at the strangers, and could of sworn she saw a bite mark on the father's neck. She didn't have time to pry though, she had to focus on the road due to the echoing screeches and frenzied cars.

Tommy made a sharp turn onto a dirt road, and they were forced to halt at a highly-trafficked area. Tommy's vein nearly popped at the dreaded occurrence.

"Dammit! Everyone and their mother had the same damn idea!" Tommy cursed, hitting his wheel with his bruised hand.

A man from afar, obviously furious at the traffic, screamed at the sluggish drivers to hurry up and was met with a staggering wanderer. The sickly looking man rushed at him and pushed him over, getting a few good hits in before busting the man's jaw and feasting on his shoulder in blood-ridden pleasure.

Tommy and the others sat still, watching the horrifying murder unfold, and they couldn't move, nor think. During the entirety of the horror show, Ellie had to be the reminder for them to get the hell outta there; she shook Tommy's shoulder, her eyes constricted and her skin was fluently perspiring.

"Go, Tommy! Go!" Ellie rushed, continuously nagging Tommy to hit the gas.

"I'm going!" Tommy yelled in return, revving the engine and pulling back the wheel to turn around and escape the premises.

The sickly man somehow managed to conserve enough energy to run up to Tommy's car after committing such a brutal crime and banged the window. The smearing of blood transcended, dripping as they drove off.

"What the hell was that?! Did you see that!?" Tommy spazzed, and he appeared frazzled as his eyes erratically checked for any peculiar movement.

"Yeah!" Ellie managed to say between profusive amounts of panting. "Just keep going!"

Everyone stamped themselves to the windows, looking out of it for any signs of danger. Right now, they were scared as hell, and they wanted to evacuate to a safer area. After a few panicked turns and forcibly standing by for pedestrians, they made a swift turn to the left and were met with a crowd of people running for their lives. Tommy seethed in his position, as well as his sister, Ellie: who expressed clear impatience and fidgety adrenaline.

"Come on, go!" Ellie yelled, repetitively looking back to check the safety of her daughter.

"I can't just drive through em'!" Tommy raged, perplexed by the uncanny situation.

"Go back, then!" Ellie offered, her hand waving backwards.

"They're behind me too!" Tommy pointed out, and Ellie exhaled abruptly, clueless as to what to do.

Finally, their wishes were granted once the group of people thinned out, and allowed enough space if you coaxed the surrounding people enough to move to the sides. Of course, they slightly ran into a couple of people, one in particular gave them the evil eye, but he moved regardless of the ensued abrasion.

With their redundant triumph, they revved forward, not in he least suspecting an outward growl.

"No!" The wife cried as the husband staggered in place, and she shielded her daughter from the husband's sharp bite.

The husband dived straight for his wife's neck, tearing it in mere seconds.

"He's infected!?" Ellie rhetorically asked, and she reached for her gun to save her daughter's life.

Ellie knew that she couldn't save her daughter unless she killed the guy, and since the wife was probably infected too, she was forced to shoot her as well. Her eyes then trailed to the adolescent daughter that was beneath her mother's dead arms. The daughter shivered in place, and a bite was present on her left arm. Between the twitches and the involuntary growls; it was an obvious answer.

She lowered her gun, her eyes squinted as she pulled the trigger. (Please be sick..please don't let this murder be in vain.) She opened her eyes, a gasp emitting once she took view of the gruesome sight before her. Tommy gasped as well, shocked by Ellie's bold move.

"Ellie!?" Tommy called, his eyes scolding her, but then halted once he saw tears drip from her face. He looked away, a tear welling in his right eye.

Although Tommy decided to agree with the grotesque method in wavered confidence, Sarah didn't; in fact, she was shocked. Her lips trembled once she felt the blood reach her skin, and her fingers retracted to her chest, frantic pants portraying her emotions.

"Was she sick?" Sarah outright asked her mother, her voice shaky and fidgeted.

A long silence swallowed the tension in the car, and Ellie heaved before forcing herself to reply. "Sarah, sometimes you have to-"

"You killed her without knowing?" Sarah guessed, her eyes daunting Ellie.

"Sarah, I-" Ellie mistily sobbed, and before she could even truthfully answer, a large bus rammed into their car, instantly knocking all of the inhabitants out of conciousness.


End file.
